This sums it up:
What do you notice about her?
Do you think, "Gosh, I don't need to bother getting thin anymore... strong is the new skinny!"
Or do you think,"Wow, guess I better work harder at the gym AND eat super lean."
Probably the latter.
Because according to these images, Strong is not the new Skinny. It is not replacing Skinny. It is just teaming up with Skinny to give us all even more to feel inadequate about. And I'm not trying to hate on these beautiful fitness models at all. They look wonderful and healthy and it does take a lot of work for them to achieve that look. And they are inspirational for a lot of women, myself included.
I am hating on the phrase "strong is the new skinny" exclusively being paired with images of very lean (some might even say skinny) women who also happen to work out.
Where are the pictures of really large women lifting amazingly huge weights with "strong is the new skinny" on their t-shirts? That would support the whole strong is the new skinny thing, right? (Oh, right, that doesn't sell. Sexy sells. That's a whole other issue with this catchphrase-image relationship that I'm not going into today...)
But, seriously, what if just pictures of very "normal" fit women lifting heavy with that caption existed equally among the fitness model type. Women who aren't totally leaned out or cut, but who clearly lift, judging by the 30, 40, maybe even 50 pound dumbbells they're slugging around. Women who you look at and think, "Wow, she looks strong/powerful/fit". Instead of the usual,"Oh look, another thin, sexy model. And she's must work out too!"
When we constantly pair a catchphrase like this with images of sexy, thin, beautiful women, we are not saying much at all about Strong. Young girls aren't going to look at those women and redefine the impossible standards society has already started to ingrain in them. Instead, those standards are being reinforced.
I think it'd be TOTALLY AWESOME for Strong to actually be the new Skinny. If a thirteen year old girl could see images of fit women all over the place (the internet, of course, but also in magazines and on TV, on billboards) in all shapes and sizes, then maybe she'd see them as women to aspire after. And she'd realize that building herself up, not leaning (or starving) herself out was the best way for her to achieve her potential.
Weight-lifting (and other strength exercise) is a great way to workout and totally empowering. It is a workout that takes the focus off of burning calories and instead focuses on getting stronger, tracking your gains, and actually putting on muscle. Instead of trying to take something off yourself (as is many people's intent with cardio) you are trying to put on the good stuff: muscle.
But Strong isn't going to replace Skinny if we never actually send out the proper message. We cannot control the media, of course, but we can control what we post and what we choose to look at. If we keep posting pictures of exclusively thin women as the cover picture for "Strong is the New Skinny" then all we do is perpetuate the message that thin is beautiful, or worse, create even higher standards that tell women and girls that only being thin AND fit is beautiful.
Just some food for thought. Let me know what you think in comments.
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